AKCDA appeals to traders to boycott corporate entities in medical business
Chennai, June 28, 2022:
The All Kerala Chemists and Druggists Association (AKCDA) has appealed to its members not to support and cooperate with the emerging corporate entities in the medicine business to help them establish a foothold in the medicine market in Kerala.
The general council has felt that when corporate firms like Reliance Industries, Medlife, Netmed, etc open their retail stores in Kerala they will force the existing retail chemists to shut their shops and become jobless. Further they will throw thousands of pharmacists and other people working in the wholesale and retail sector out of jobs.
AKCDA has taken this crucial decision of boycott in its annual general council meeting held in Kochi on June 26 and passed a resolution in that effect. The decision was accepted and applauded by all the general council members representing all districts in the state.
Further, the chemists’ body has unanimously decided to approach the union government in association with the national body, AIOCD, to urge the ministry of chemicals and fertilizers to bring a rule or make an amendment in the D&C Rules to ban display of discount boards before medical shops by chain pharmacies. The pharmacies offering discounts to consumers are violating the rules of the NPPA, the association has alleged. This issue was raised in the meeting by the president of the association, A N Mohan. After a comprehensive discussion, the general council gave full support to the president to take up the issue with the central government. Shortly, AKCDA will send a letter to the Ministry of C&F and also to the union health minister demanding removal of discount boards.
Another important decision of the general council meeting is that all pharmacies should gradually adopt technological advancements in their operations. A N Mohan said medical shops in Maharashtra have started improving their profession by adopting technology and the state will become a role model for the rest of the country in improving the profession of the chemist community. Besides, the chemists and druggists are facing stiff competition from the increasing number of discount pharmacies and chain stores. So, every medical store must adopt the latest technology in their businesses for survival.
As an effective way to beat the emerging competition, small business entrepreneurs should form a consortium to do group business and that is also now prevailing in Maharashtra. This was a decision of the national traders body (AIOCD), but started implementing in Maharashtra only. This decision was taken by AIOCD at its Jaipur meeting last year. The general council of the AKCDA has accepted it and agreed to start separate consortiums in as many places as possible.
On the lines of the Goa chemists and druggists association, new software will be developed for the services of pharmaceutical wholesalers and retailers in Kerala. The association is in discussion with Reliable Software in Goa for the creation of the software, said Thomas Raju, the outgoing secretary of AKCDA. PhamaBiz